Cougar visiting Oregon hotel drugged, then killed

A cougar (Puma Concolor) decided to go wandering about a hotel in The Dalles, Oregon. Cougars populate the woods around this suburb of Portland, but they rarely frequent the shops, restaurants or other services. This odd behavior resulted in the termination of said animal.

It is cool to pump your own gas in some parts of Oregon now.

Via KVAL Oregon:

Cougar sightings are not uncommon on the outskirts of The Dalles, especially in the late winter and early spring when deer are on winter range just outside the city, according to wildlife officials.

But a cougar coming this far into downtown, into the business district and deep into a hotel complex, and not showing fear of people or wariness of urban environments? Thats just extremely odd, said Jeremy Thompson, ODFW district wildlife biologist. This may have been a cougar that was unable to establish its own home range in its natural habitat.

Considering this cougars concerning behavior, it was deemed a public safety risk not suitable for relocation, and so it was euthanized, said Thompson.

Image via Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife